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2009 Chakwal mosque bombing

A suicide bombing struck a crowded Shia mosque in Chakwal, Punjab, Pakistan on 5 April 2009, killing an initially reported 30 people and injuring at least 150 during a religious congregation.

UNSOLVED2009

Chakwal, Punjab, Pakistan

2 SOURCESUPDATED JUL 2026
Illustrative

On 5 April 2009, an explosion occurred at a mosque in Chakwal, a town in Pakistan's Punjab province. The mosque was reportedly "packed" with worshippers at the time of the blast, which took place during a religious congregation. An initial casualty count reported 30 people killed, with at least 150 others injured.

The mosque targeted was a minority Shia place of worship. The Chakwal attack occurred just over a week after a separate mosque bombing in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, and it followed by one day a suicide attack in the capital, Islamabad, in which eight paramilitary soldiers were killed.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the Chakwal bombing. Security officials said they believed the attack was carried out via a suicide bombing. The attack also came only days after Tehreek-e-Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud had warned of increased attacks in Pakistan.

Key facts

Victims
On file
Date
2009
Location
Chakwal, Punjab, Pakistan
Case status
unsolved

Case timeline

  1. 2009-03

    A separate mosque bombing occurred in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, just over a week prior to the Chakwal attack.

  2. 2009-04-04

    Eight paramilitary soldiers were killed in a suicide attack in Islamabad, one day before the Chakwal mosque bombing.

  3. 2009-04-05

    A bombing occurred at a packed Shia mosque in Chakwal, Punjab, during a religious congregation; an initial count reported 30 people killed and at least 150 injured.

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People

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Places

Chakwal, Punjab, Pakistan

32.9336, 72.8556

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Common questions

What happened to the victim?
A suicide bombing struck a crowded Shia mosque in Chakwal, Punjab, Pakistan on 5 April 2009, killing an initially reported 30 people and injuring at least 150 during a religious congregation.
Where did the bombing happen?
Chakwal, Punjab, Pakistan.
What is the current status of the case?
Status: unsolved.
More cases in Pakistan

Sources

  1. PRESSContemporaneous coverage of the 2009 Chakwal mosque bombingenglish.aljazeera.net · 2026-07-07
  2. ENCYCLOPEDIC2009 Chakwal mosque bombingWikipedia · 2026-07-07

Record history

First published
JUL 07, 2026

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